A sickly fellow ridiculed by the entire army? I'll be the most beautiful woman in the barracks!

Hearing that Zhao Daxuan was willing to sell another hundred horses, bringing the total to eight hundred warhorses.

Leng Wuye's expression softened slightly, a hint of smugness appearing on his face. He muttered softly in a voice only he could hear, "You're smart to know what's good for you."

Zhao Daxuan's ears twitched. Leng Wuye's soft mutterings clearly reached his ears, causing a subtle expression to appear on his face.

But he pretended not to hear and turned to A Liang, saying, "Let's go, take Captain Leng to see his eight hundred warhorses. If there are no problems, we'll exchange money for goods."

Ah Liang, standing to the side, raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a smile.

"Alright, the eight hundred warhorses have been selected separately, and they're right here!"

Ah Liang pointed to a corner in the stable, and then led the group there.

There were as many as eight hundred warhorses in this place, some kneeling, some with their heads hanging down listlessly.

As Leng Wuye approached, his brows furrowed involuntarily.

"Commander Zhao, how could the eight hundred warhorses you gave me be so worthless? You must give me a reasonable explanation!"

Zhao Daxuan smiled slightly, "Captain Leng, I already said it's a second-rate warhorse. If it were in good condition, I wouldn't be willing to sell it to you."

Leng Wuye's face darkened, and he said coldly, "Commander Zhao, so many of your warhorses can't even stand up, and you still say these are just substandard horses? They're clearly crippled!"

"Hey, Captain Leng, don't talk nonsense. I guarantee that none of these horses are disabled. If you don't believe me, you can send someone to check for yourself."

Zhao Daxuan stared wide-eyed at Leng Wuye, who feigned displeasure, but he was unfazed by the situation.

Leng Wuye frowned, a hint of suspicion in his eyes, and shouted at the soldiers behind him without turning his head.

"Go and fetch Old Ox; let him inspect these warhorses!"

Old Niu was a master at recognizing horses in the Black Armor Camp, and he was always the one chosen for selecting warhorses in the past.

There was complete silence behind him. Leng Wuye turned around and shouted in a deep voice, clearly displeased.

"Didn't you hear me? Go and fetch Old Ox for me!"

The soldier closest to Leng Wuye shrank back and said, forcing himself to speak.

"Sir, Old Niu died in battle this morning."

Because of his poor combat skills, Lao Niu only rose to the rank of platoon leader after more than ten years in the army, and he was always the last one in battle.

This time, thinking he was going to collect merits, he accidentally rushed to the front and was killed in the first wave of Tartar cavalry charges.

Leng Wuye's eyes widened, and he suddenly remembered that his subordinates had indeed reported to him that Lao Niu was on the list of those killed in battle today.

He hadn't taken this insignificant person seriously at all, only to discover now that he needed him that he had already died in battle.

"Sir, why don't we send some of Old Niu's men up to take a look? Perhaps they've learned a thing or two from following Old Niu."

A guard beside him offered a suggestion, and Leng Wuye frowned and pondered for a moment before finally nodding in agreement.

"Alright, let them give it a try."

The soldier turned and ran back to the group left outside the camp. Soon, three figures arrived in front of Leng Wuye and saluted him.

These three were the remaining soldiers under Lao Niu's command. All of them had wounds on their faces, as the other brothers had already sacrificed themselves on the battlefield along with Lao Niu.

"My lord, what are your orders?"

"The three of you go and inspect the eight hundred warhorses in this stable."

"We must ensure that these warhorses are only those that are injured and have difficulty moving; they must not have any disabilities or hidden injuries."

The three soldiers under Lao Niu exchanged glances upon hearing this, then nodded reluctantly in agreement.

As they walked toward the stable, the three felt as if they were carrying a thousand-pound stone on their backs; the old ox had indeed taught them a few tricks for recognizing horses.

But those are just superficial skills; how could I possibly teach them my best and most valuable skills?

However, they didn't have the courage to tell Leng Wuye that they only knew a little bit about it. Fortunately, they could still make a judgment when checking for disabilities.

The three of them wandered around the stables for a while, carefully examining each warhorse. Only after confirming that everything was correct did they trot up to Leng Wuye.

"Sir, everything has been examined. Apart from some external injuries, there are no other problems. He will recover after a few months of rest."

The three men spoke at the same time, their voices loud and clear. They had examined the warhorses carefully and found that apart from their injuries causing them to be lethargic, they did not have any other major problems.

Leng Wuye nodded and looked at Zhao Daxuan.

"In that case, how much? Name your price!"

Zhao Daxuan grinned.

"One price, thirty-five thousand taels of silver!"

After Zhao Daxuan announced the price, Leng Wuye's temples throbbed.

He knew the price was outrageous, but he gritted his teeth, took out a stack of silver notes from his pocket, counted them carefully, and then handed them over.

Zhao Daxuan took it, casually checked that it was fine, and stuffed it into his pocket, his smile widening.

"Thank you for your patronage, Captain Leng! Please come again next time!"

Seeing Zhao Daxuan's smug expression, Leng Wuye gritted his teeth and turned to order his soldiers to call in the others outside the camp and take away their warhorses.

Leng Wuye then left without lingering and carefully led the Black Armor Camp men back into the city.

After touring the camp, Zhao Daxuan arranged for people to provide a bowl of thin porridge every day to alleviate the survival problems of the surrounding refugees.

After giving some instructions, he headed towards the Zhao residence in the city.

It had only been a few days since he returned to the Zhao residence, but it felt like he hadn't been home for a long time. Even when he brought Shen Qingchi back in the afternoon, he didn't even step inside the house.

Upon arriving at the gate of the Zhao residence, Zhao Daxuan hesitated for a moment. Through the gate, he could sense that the Zhao residence was very quiet, without the slightest sound of arguing.

But a sense of unease lingered in my heart; I wondered how I was getting along with the maids at home.

Will Shen Qingchi forcefully suppress the three women, or will the three women join forces to ostracize Shen Qingci?

Taking a deep breath, Zhao Daxuan knocked on the gate of the Zhao residence. Soon the gate opened, and Sixi came out to greet him. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that it was Zhao Daxuan.

"Master, you're finally back."

Seeing Sixi's appearance, Zhao Daxuan's heart sank, and he asked in a low voice.

"Is everything alright at the manor?"

Si Xi gave a strange look, but still nodded.

"Master, everything is fine at home. The ladies are already waiting for you to have your meal."

Zhao Daxuan frowned slightly. Seeing that Sixi was not telling the truth, he could only hand the reins to Sixi and walk into the courtyard alone.

Zhao Daxuan's steps were heavy. He paused slightly as soon as he stepped into the main hall, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

The candlelight burned quietly in the main hall, and the flickering candlelight made Shen Qingci, who sat in the main seat, appear even more calm and composed.

The other three people in the mansion were also proud and arrogant, but at this moment they sat obediently next to Shen Qingci.

Shen Qingci put down the account book in her hand, looked at Zhao Daxuan who stepped into the main hall, and her pearly teeth were slightly revealed.

"Young Master Zhao, you're back."

Shen Qingci had a calm demeanor and indifferent eyes, but he was not sharp.

Sitting regally in the main seat, she didn't seem to overshadow the host at all; it was as if she was rightfully meant to be there.